Captain Atom: Armageddon #9

Issue Details

Synopsis

"The End" Captain Atom is forcefully brought to The Authority's Carrier and is greeted by Jack Hawksmoor and The Doctor along with a time frozen Majestic. Hawksmoor states to Captain Atom that even though he is a "nice guy", he must be killed in order to prevent the destruction of the Wildstorm Universe. Atom pleads to everyone that killing himself will only cause the destruction of the universe. Jack points out that The Doctor had traveled one year into the future and finding their world intact, reasoning that killing Captain Atom is the "reasonable" answer in saving their universe. But Atom tries to point out that he too traveled to the future and that there is something that everyone hasn't realize. Jack refuses to listen to Captain Atom anymore and has Apollo to kill him. Just as Apollo uses his eyebeams on Atom, his attack unexpectedly causes a reaction within Captain Atom, causing him to glow. Back on Earth, Nikola is in her Void form, sadly laments to a dead Grifter that she couldn't do anything to prevent what is happening and doesn't believe herself to be a superhero. Then at the same moment of Captain Atom's reaction, Nikola takes notice and fully controls her powers stating that Grifter has been right about her all along. She states that she must go to the "end" in order to ensure that there is "another beginning" before flying to the Carrier while stating that she will become "whole again". Back on the Carrier, Captain Atom's reaction damages the surrounding room and he himself has been changed to a dark, radiant and foreboding form. Hawksmoor then questions The Doctor about their efforts of saving the universe came to be "alright". The Doctor states that though the universe will be saved, he doesn't mention them surviving in the outcome. Taking chances, Hawksmoor orders Apollo to absorb Captain Atom's energy to shut him down before he could do anything. Captain Atom pleads to Apollo this wouldn't work. However, Apollo refuses, stating that he has absorbed thousands of suns before, but as Atom warned, he is instantly incinerated to a charred skeleton. Shocked in seeing his husband's death, Midnighter is overwhelmed by anger and disobeys Hawksmoor's warnings as he attempts to kill Captain Atom, but is also killed like Apollo. Frantically, Hawksmoor orders The Doctor to unfreeze Majestic in order to have more help in stopping Atom. Hawksmoor then questions to Captain Atom that killing every being at a time is what he will do in the destruction of the universe, in which Atom respond that killing everything is what he will do. Atom also states there is nothing to stop him and hopes for Hawksmoor to "pray for a miracle." Majestic is unfrozen by the Doctor and realizes what has happened. He then grabs Hawksmoor demanding him what he has done, which Jack admits that he was wrong. Before Majestic could do anything to Hawksmoor, Jenny Quantum enters the room and is very disappointed in Jack for allowing the destruction of their universe to happen while she was away to fight with an alternate evil Jenny-counterpart. She then approaches Captain Atom stating that she, the spirit of the 21st century, will solve everything with a "happy ending". However, as she touches Captain Atom, she is also instantly incinerated. Appalled over Jenny's death, Hawksmoor berates The Doctor for doing nothing to help. However, the Doctor says that he has given up; the death of the Spirit of the 21st Century signifies the true end of their universe and that there is nothing to stop the inevitable, but to accept it. He then askes Jack if he is going to end his last moments "whining and fighting", in which Hawksmoor, defeated, softly reply "no". The Doctor then tells Jack to stand up as they "have company" in which Nikola appears, who now accepts and calling herself the Void. Committing what nobody has done, Nikola successfully remove and regain her other piece of her fragment from Captain Atom, causing him to revert back to his regular appearance. The threat is over, as confirmed by The Doctor. Void also grants Atom the chance to return back to his universe, teleporting him away with her powers as Captain Atom says thank you. Shortly after that, Void reveals that she will end their universe much to everyone's surprise. She explains that the reason she wants to end it is due to the ways some superhumans, especially The Authority, have been influencing the world into a "twisted image" that it is so much difficult for a normal person, like Nikola, to endure. However, as she initiates the end of the universe, she will not only to end it but also to begin anew (as it happen a "million times before"). She then creates a magnificent burst of light, and the Wildstorm Universe is reborn. With the creation of this new universe, many of Eaeth's inhabitants, including an already alive Grifter, with their newly recreated lives felt the universe's rebirth but yet seem to be oblivious to the nature of the change they have just experience. Meanwhile, Captain Atom finally returns to his universe and crash lands into the ruins of Bludhaven. Relieved to be home, Captain Atom then remembers of traveling a week ahead in the Wildstorm Universe and recalling what the future Nikola had said to him before leaving to the present: "It's not what you think". Atom realizes that Nikola herself saved her world and contained the "worldstorm." Now, it is his turn to save his.